Inside The Spurs

Spurs' Newest Savior is Here: Who is Victor Wembanyama?

Victor Wembanyama is the San Antonio Spurs' third No. 1 pick of all time, third No. 1 center and could become the team's third Hall-of-Fame player at his position.

Matt Guzman

Spurs' Newest Savior is Here: Who is Victor Wembanyama?
Spurs' Newest Savior is Here: Who is Victor Wembanyama? /
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After weeks of anointing him the savior of the Alamo City before he even donned a Silver and Black jersey, the San Antonio Spurs finally selected Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday.

So, who is the Spurs' newest superstar?

The French Background

Wembanyama hails from Le Chesnay, France, and grew up a basketball lover, art enthusiast and, believe it or not, a Spurs fan. He didn't loyally watch the NBA growing up, but when he did, he was watching players like Tony Parker and Boris Diaw — both French-descending players on the Spurs.

Diaw and Parker had a positive effect on those who looked up to them. They weren't the most flashy players ... then again, the Spurs weren't known for that during their championship era, but they were successful.

As a result, it seemed that just about everyone at Wembanyama's Draft Lottery party was happy when San Antonio earned the No. 1 pick.

"There's a special relation[ship] between France and the Spurs because of Tony and also Boris," Wembanyama said. "I know half of the country, if not the whole country wanted the Spurs to have the first pick."

Now, that hope is a reality for both the rookie center and the country of France. Wembanyama is the Spurs' third No. 1 pick of all time, third No. 1 center and is set to become the Spurs' third Hall-of-Fame player at his position, though if he surpasses either Tim Duncan or David Robinson, San Antonio can happily accept another championship ... or two.

How does he feel and how does he fit in?

"It's just basketball," Wembanyama said. "I have no pressure, no fear. I'm trying to have fun every time. You know, people have doubts, but I'm going to prove them wrong."

Wembanyama is truly a one-of-a-kind prospect. LeBron James had an incredible amount of potential and talent entering the league, but he wasn't the art enthusiast that Wembanyama is. Boban Marjanovic, Tacko Fall and Manute Bol had the height that Victor has, but not the athleticism, nor the passion for health.

That's what makes him special. He is his own motivator, in every aspect. Even the media has an incredible level of expectations for the young star, but not as high as his are for himself.

"I don't let ... all this stuff, get into my head because I [have] such high expectations for myself that I'm immune to all this stuff," Wembanyama told ESPN. "So I really don't care."

Hearing the future of your franchise hold himself to a higher standard than everyone else is promising, though hearing him excited at the thought of playing for your team should be even more exciting.

And Wembanyama has made both of those sentiments very clear.

If he had been given the choice, he would have picked San Antonio for himself. He's excited to play with new teammates and under a Hall-of-Fame head coach like Gregg Popovich — who is also apparently excited to coach the 19-year-old prospect, after he was seen looking at a new San Antonio mural in Wembanyama’s honor:

Everything surrounding Wembanyama has seemed to work out perfectly. From the Draft Lottery, to the French connection and the center legacy — even down to the Spurs jersey when he was younger.

Whether or not his time with the Spurs will continue to follow that path hasn't been determined, and won't be for at least a few seasons, though Wembanyama is ready to come out of the gate running.

He’s ready to facilitate the offense, provide scoring, defense and leadership to his teammates as soon as he can.

"A team player, I'm gonna do everything to win as many games as I can," Wembanyama told ESPN's Brian Windhorst after the Draft Lottery. "I'm trying to win a ring ASAP, so be ready."

Well, after Thursday night, Spurs fans should be ready. 

Wembanyama, "the greatest prospect since LeBron James," is officially a San Antonio Spur. He's ready to suit up for the Silver & Black, possibly as early as July, and will look to become the next great San Antonio icon.

This is it. The start of a new era. This is the Victor Wembanyama experience.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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